Emma Filiatreau balances reining with basketball at Bethlehem High School
BARDSTOWN, Ky. (BVM) 鈥� Many high school athletes will hear the importance of being a multi-sport athlete. On many occasions, coaches will point out successful pros who played multiple sports in high school and used that to help them excel at the next levels. While coaches are always thrilled about players participating in numerous sports, some would likely be hesitant when the other sport involves horseback riding. However, that is what Bethlehem girls basketball player Emma Filiatreau does in her offseason as she participates in reining.
鈥淢ost people don鈥檛 really understand what it is,鈥� Filiatreau admitted. 鈥淢y coaches at school kind of know it鈥檚 important to me so they let me do that and don鈥檛 mind it too much. My AAU coach pushes me to go to more tournaments and stuff and I鈥檓 like, 鈥業鈥檓 sorry I just can鈥檛 fit it in.鈥欌��
Filiatreau has become an essential part of a strong Bethlehem unit that has made it to the Kentucky High School Athletic Association Sweet 16 in two of her three seasons on the team. This past season was Filiatreau鈥檚 best, as she became one of the key players for the Banshees throughout the season, finishing second on the team in points scored and rebounds with 13.1 and 7.0, respectively.
鈥淚 started practicing with the varsity a lot [in eighth grade] and I realized, 鈥榃ow I really like basketball,鈥� Filitreau said. 鈥淎AU and horses are pretty much in the same season so it鈥檚 pretty hard, but it鈥檚 definitely something every weekend. Basketball practice is during the week and riding during the week but it鈥檚 a lot of late nights and busy schedules. I would say in basketball I love the team aspect of it and our team is so close.鈥�
Of course, while the 6-foot-1 forward is great on the basketball court, she may be even better on horseback.
鈥淩eining I just love it so I don鈥檛 think I could ever stop doing it,鈥� Filiatreau said.
Since she was 5, Filiatreau has been doing shows with the National Reining Horse Association thanks in large part to her relationship with her grandfather, her 鈥減epaw鈥� Chris Ballard, who purchases and helps to train the horses. Reining is a rodeo event where a horse and rider effectively work together to complete an individual pattern. The pattern involves several fast-paced maneuvers including galloping small and large circles, flying lead changes, quick spins and accelerating speeds that follow a sliding stop. The reining event is judged on three items: functional correctness, maneuvers, and attitude.
鈥淢y pepaw took this horse up to a trainer鈥檚 barn in Indiana and I went with him and the trainer was like, 鈥業 have two reining horses for your granddaughter鈥� and he bought them so that鈥檚 how I got started,鈥� Filiatreau said. 鈥淚 started out in reining and we did do rodeo for about two years, but it wasn鈥檛 as challenging. With the rodeo, it was just fast all the time to where reining breaks it up a little. You have fast circles, you have small circles, it鈥檚 fast running to spots but then you stop and slide. It鈥檚 just a lot more fun to me.鈥�
Starting at such a young age, Filiatreau has been able to see numerous successes in her rodeo career including winning the 2015 NRHA Youth 13 & Under World Championship with her horse at the time, Optimus Prime. These days, Filatreau can be spotted on her horse Special For The Nite and just got a new horse, Vintage Sportster.
鈥淔or me, the most difficult part is that it鈥檚 all on you. You can鈥檛 really blame your horse for something because you could鈥檝e had something to do with it鈥t鈥檚 all on you and that can get difficult sometimes,鈥� Filiatreau said. 鈥淏ut the fun part and why I always keep doing it is the bond you get with the horse. I鈥檝e had several different horses over the years, but you just kind of find the types of horses you like and go with them and it鈥檚 pretty fun.鈥�
Reining has given Filiatreau a number of great experiences. She鈥檚 been able to travel, ride numerous horses and even be a world champion, but perhaps the best thing has been building close relationships with her parents and grandparents who are her support system throughout the year-long competition schedule.
鈥淢y parents have definitely helped me a lot,鈥� Filiatreau said. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e put me in really good schools that will work without the busy schedule because I miss school a lot to go to these shows on the weekends because most start on Thursday or Friday. They鈥檝e really pushed me to help me keep going and keep me wanting more out of myself.
鈥淢y pepaw he鈥檚 built a barn with 16 stalls and a big indoor arena and he paid for all our horses and fees and all that stuff. That鈥檚 made it a lot closer to home which makes it a lot easier to ride more and to get better.鈥�
Through her dedication to her craft, Filiatreau has also earned a once in a lifetime opportunity, joining a Division I rodeo program. On Sept. 28, Filiatreau announced that she would be joining the Oklahoma State University equestrian team following her high school career, giving her the chance to do what she loves while also getting a college education.
鈥淲hen I started high school I had heard of other girls in the reining world joining the equestrian teams at these big schools so that鈥檚 when it sparked my interest,鈥� Filiatreau said. 鈥淚t kind of piqued my interest earlier than basketball did and it was definitely a hard decision because I played basketball my whole life too so I don鈥檛 know what I鈥檓 going to do without it. But I think I made the right decision.鈥�
While her future may be figured out, Filiatreau still has one more year at Bethlehem which means one more season on the court leading the Banshees. With the program making the Sweet 16 each of the last two years, the hope will be that Filiatreau will be able to bring home the hardware for Bethlehem during her senior season.
鈥淸Winning the Sweet 16] would mean so much,鈥� Filiatreau said. 鈥淲e鈥檝e been there three times now and been to the Elite Eight once so even making it to the Final Four would mean so much because we鈥檇 be the first team at Bethlehem to do that. Making it one step farther would mean a lot.鈥�
Though her collegiate future may not be on the basketball court, the importance of Filiatreau鈥檚 rodeo career cannot be understated. In a discipline that requires hours of training, patience, non-verbal communication and plenty of exercise, the rising senior has gotten a lot out of reining that has helped her on the basketball court. While it may not be the usual second sport for a high school athlete like softball or volleyball, rodeo has helped get Filiatreau to the success she鈥檚 had in her career and it will continue to carry her through her college years.
